- Source
- Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0119.phi011.humanitext-lat2:523b-587
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Through the dialogue between Lysimachus and Pasicompsa, a misunderstanding occurs, while Demipho rejoices in having acquired his mistress and discusses with Lysimachus their secret plans and a place to house her.
Em istaec hercle res est.
Look, by Hercules, that is the very thing.
ovem tibi eccillam dabo, natam annos sexaginta,1
I will give you that sheep over there, sixty years old,
peculiarem.
as your private property.
Mi senex, tam vetulam?
My old gentleman, such an old one?
Generis graecist;
It is of Greek breed;
eam si curabis, perbonast, tondetur nimium scite.
if you take care of her, she is excellent, she will be shorn exceedingly skillfully.
Honoris causa quidquid est quod dabitur gratum habebo.
Whatever is given out of respect, I will accept with gratitude.
Nunc, mulier, ne tu frustra sis, mea non es, ne arbitrere.
Now, woman, lest you be mistaken, you are not mine, do not think so.
Dic igitur quaeso, quoia sum?
Tell me then, please, whose am I?
Tuo ero redempta es rursum;
You have been bought back for your master;
ego te redemi, ílle mecum oravit.
I bought you, but he entreated me.
Animus rediit,
My spirit has returned,
si mecum servatur fides.
if faith is kept with me.
Bono animo es, liberabit
Be of good cheer, he will set you free,
ille te homo: ita edepol deperit, atque hodie primum vidit.
that man will: by Pollux, he is so desperately in love with you, and yet he only saw you for the first time today.
Ecastor iam bienniumst, quom mecum rem coëpit.
By Castor, it is already two years since he began his relation with me.
nunc, quando amicum te scio esse illius, indicabo.
now, since I know you are his friend, I will disclose it.
Quid ais tu? iam bienniumst, quom tecum rém habet?
What is that you say? Is it already two years since he has had to do with you?
Certo;
Certainly;
et intér nos coniuravimus, ego cum illo et ille mecum:
and we swore an oath between us, I to him and he to me:
ego cum viro et ílle cum muliere, nisi cum illo aut ille mecum,
I with my husband and he with his woman, unless I with him or he with me,
neuter stupri causa caput limaret.2
neither of us would pollute ourselves for the sake of debauchery.
Di immortales,
Immortal gods!
etiam cum uxore non cubet?
Does he not even sleep with his wife?
Amabo, án maritust?
Please, is he married?
neque est neque erit.
He neither is, nor will be.
Nolim quidem. homo hercle periuravit.
Indeed I should hope not. By Hercules, the man has perjured himself.
Nullum adulescentem plus amo.
There is no young man I love more.
Puer est ille quidem, stulta.
Indeed he is a child, foolish girl.
nam illi quidem hau sane diust quom dentes exciderunt.
for indeed it is not very long since his teeth fell out.
Quid, dentes?
What, teeth?
Nihil est. sequere sis. hunc me diem unum oravit
It is nothing. Follow, please. He entreated me for this one day
ut apud me praehiberem locum, ideo quia uxor rurist.—
that I would afford a place at my house, for the reason that his wife is in the country.
Tandem impetravi ut egomet me corrumperem:
Demipho: (to himself) At last I have obtained permission to corrupt myself:
emptast amica clam uxorem et clam filium.
a mistress has been bought secretly from my wife and secretly from my son.
certumst, antiqua recolam et servibo mihi.
It is resolved, I will revive ancient memories and serve myself.
decurso spatio breve quod vitae relicuomst
Having run my course, what brief remainder of life is left
voluptáte, vino et amore delectavero.
I will delight with pleasure, wine, and love.
nam hanc se bene habere aetatem nimiost aequius.
for it is exceedingly fair that this age should keep itself well.
adulescens quom sis, tum quom est sanguis integer,
When you are a young man, when your blood is fresh,
rei tuae quaerundae convenit operam dare;
it is fitting to bestow labor on seeking your fortune;
demum igitur quom sis iam senex, tum in otium
then at last, when you are already an old man, then establish yourself
te conloces, dum potes ames: id iam lucrumst
in leisure, and love while you can: that is already profit
quod vivis. hoc ut dico, factis persequar.
that you live. As I say this, I will follow it with deeds.
interea tamen huc intro ad me invisam domum:
Meanwhile, however, I will visit inside here at my house:
uxor me exspectat iam dudum esuriens domi;
my wife has been waiting for me for a long time at home, hungry;
iam iurgio enicabit, si intro rediero.
she will kill me with scolding directly, if I return inside.
verum hercle postremo, utut est, non ibo tamen,
But by Hercules, in the end, however it is, I will not go in,
sed hunc vicinum prius conveniam quam domum
but I will meet this neighbor before I return
redeam; ut mihi aedis aliquas conducat volo,
home; I want him to lease some house for me
ubi habitet istaec mulier. atque eccum it foras.
where that woman may dwell. And look, there he comes out.
Adducam ego illum iam ad te, si convenero.
Lysimachus: I will bring him to you directly, if I meet him.
Me dicit.
Demipho: He is talking about me.
Quid ais, Demipho?
Lysimachus: What do you say, Demipho?
Est mulier domi?
Demipho: Is the woman at home?
Quid censes?
Lysimachus: What do you think?
Quid si visam?
Demipho: What if I visit her?
Quid properas? mane.
Lysimachus: Why are you hurrying? Wait.
Quid faciam?
Demipho: What should I do?
Quod opust facto3 facito ut cogites.
Lysimachus: Make sure you consider what needs to be done.
Quid cogitem? equidem hercle opus hoc facto existimo,
Demipho: What should I consider? By Hercules, I indeed think there is need of doing this,
ut illo íntro eam.
namely, that I go in there.
Itane vero, vervex? intro eas?
Lysimachus: Is it really so, you wether? You go in?
Quid aliud faciam?
Demipho: What else should I do?
Prius hoc ausculta, atque ades:
Lysimachus: Listen to this first, and pay attention:
prius etiamst, quod te facere ego aequom censeo.
there is even something beforehand, which I think it fair for you to do.
nam nunc si illuc intro ieris, amplecti voles,
for if you go in there now, you will want to embrace her,
confabulari atque osculari.
to chat and to kiss her.
Tu quidem
Demipho: You indeed
meum animum gestas: scis quid acturus siem.
possess my mind: you know what I am going to do.
Pervorse facies.
Lysimachus: You will act perversely.
Quodne ames—
Demipho: What, that which you love—
Tanto minus.
Lysimachus: So much the less.
ieiunitatis plenus, anima foetida,
Full of hunger, with foul breath,
senex hircosus tu osculere mulierem?
you, a goatish old man, would kiss a woman?
utíne4 adveniens vomitum excutias mulieri?
so that on arriving you would make the woman vomit?
scio pol te amare, quom istaec praemonstras mihi.
Demipho: By Pollux, I know you understand love, since you point out these things to me.
Quid si igitur unum faciam hoc? si censes, coquom
What if I do this one thing then? If you agree, let us grab some
aliquem arripiamus, prandium qui percoquat
cook, who may prepare a luncheon
apud te hic usque ad vesperum.
here at your house all the way until evening.
Em istuc censeo.
Lysimachus: Look, I agree to that.
nunc tu sapienter loquere atque amatorie.
now you speak wisely and like a lover.
Quid stamus? quin ergo imus atque obsonium
Demipho: Why are we standing? Why then do we not go and procure provisions,
curamus, pulchre ut simus?
so that we may have a fine time?
Equidem te sequor.
Lysimachus: Indeed I follow you.
atque hercle invenies tu locum illi, si sapis:
and by Hercules, you will find a place for her, if you are wise:
nullum hercle praeter hunc diem illa apud med erit.
by Hercules, she shall not be at my house beyond this day.
metuo ego uxórem, cras si rure redierit
I fear my wife, lest if she returns from the country tomorrow
ne illam hic offendat.
she should find her here.
- 524natam annos sexaginta
The age of "sixty years" for a sheep (ovem) is highly unrealistic; Lysimachus is humorously or ironically referring to his own elderly wife metaphorically as a "sheep."
- 537caput limaret
caput limare (literally "to file/rub the head") is an idiomatic expression here combined with stupri causa, meaning either "to engage in illicit intercourse" (rubbing heads together) or "to damage or pollute one's character/reputation" through adultery.
- 565bQuod opust facto
The construction of opus est + perfect participle ablative (facto) means "what needs to be done." The relative pronoun quod functions as the grammatical subject of this construction.
- 576utíne
The conjunction ut with the interrogative enclitic -ne attached. Here, it introduces the subjunctive of disbelief or indignation in an independent clause ("Is it possible that...?").